What became of two statues that once stood outside Dundee actor Brian Cox’s former school?
Former pupils and staff of St Michael’s School have been searching for the figures, which were positioned outside the Graham Street building until its closure in 1975.
The statues were carved by two former students of Dundee College of Art and depicted St Columba and St Michael.
But what happened to them when the school bell sounded for the final time?
Might they still exist?
Might someone even, unwittingly, have them in their back garden?
Unveiled in November 1956
Pupils and staff gathered at the school’s doorway on November 1 1956 to witness the unveiling of the new statues.
It was the culmination of more than a year of work by two students from the Dundee College of Art, and a fundraising effort from the whole school.
Several concerts and sales of other students’ work were held to raise the money for the statues.
The two statues depicted two patron saints who were important to Dundee and the school: St Columba and St Michael.
St Columba is the patron saint of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Dunkeld, of which Dundee is a member.
The region is one of the eight that make up the Catholic Church in Scotland.
Between the statue’s two hands was a replica of Dunkeld Cathedral.
In 849 relics of St Columba were removed from Iona to protect them from Viking raids and brought to Dunkeld by King Kenneth MacAlpin.
MacAlpin appointed a bishop at Dunkeld and Columba became the patron saint of the church and its monastery.
The second statue depicted the school’s patron saint: St Michael.
The hands of the avenging angel rested on a sword as it overlooked the entryway.
Both statues were completed by two students in their final year at the art college.
Arthur Edward and David Bell planned their designs on scale models and moved on to the real deal in early 1956.
Their designs were carved into two blocks of stone, each weighing about one and a half tonnes.
The stones were placed outside the school and there the students continued to work all year, through each of the seasons and even as snow was lying on the ground.
The students were mentored by Scott Sutherland, the modelling lecturer who created Scotland’s Commando memorial near Spean Bridge.
Once unveiled, the statues of the two saints were blessed and dedicated by the Right Reverend William Hart, Bishop of Dunkeld.
Brian Cox at St Michael’s
A rallying call for information on the statues was sounded during a recent reunion of former pupils but this has so far drawn a blank.
The Bonar Hall reunion saw messages received from ex-pupils as far afield as China, Canada, Australia and the US – including a special message from Dundee actor Brian Cox, who used to attend the RC secondary in the 1950s.
Cox grew up in Lochee and attended St Mary’s Primary School before heading up to St Michael’s where his love of theatre would be encouraged and a job at the Dundee Rep was suggested.
Teachers Bill Dewar and George Hackett were key to helping Cox on his way to a career in stage and screen; Dewar starting The Rep Club at the school ultimately led the-now 76-year-old on the road to Succession.
Francis De Franco, who attended the reunion, said: “The statues stood on either side of the entrance.
“When the school closed and it was taken over by Dundee College, the statues were gifted to Wellburn Home on Liff Road.
“They sat in the grounds of the home until it closed in 2017.
“After that, they mysteriously disappeared.
“After that, we had periodic searches in the grounds and even contacted the Chancellor of the Diocese of Dunkeld to ascertain if he knew what became of them.
“However, we had no such luck.
“We have no idea what became of them.
“We’re convinced they’re sitting in someone’s garden!”
History of St Michael’s
St Michael’s School was designed by city architect D.B. McLay.
It opened as a composite primary school for Catholic and Protestant children on April 20 1942, after the building of their separate schools in Linlathen and Mid Craigie were delayed due to the Second World War.
The Roman Catholic school worked closely with the nearby church of the same name.
During the war it was appointed a chaplain and the pupils attended a morning church service every day.
In 1942 an additional service was added, where on the first school day of every month the children would attend a special church service that parents and families were invited to.
When the primary schools in Mid Craigie opened in August 1954, St Michael’s became a secondary modern school, as it was when Brian Cox attended.
The school stopped accepting new pupils in the early 1970s and closed on July 1 1975.
Thereafter, the building was used as an annexe to Dundee College.
It is now demolished with new housing having been erected as St Michael’s Yard.
The next school reunion for St Michael’s will be held in October 2023, and the final one has been arranged for 2025.
It’s not known if Brian Cox will make an appearance at either event but organisers hope the statues will.
Conversation